Civil Services Examination · Question 15
The top of a table is rectangular and its dimensions are 6' × 10'. Two rectangular portions of the table top are painted in blue colour; both these portions have dimensions 2.5' × 8' and each of them has exactly two sides common with two edges of the table top. If the table is fixed to the ground and the remaining portion of the table top is painted in white, how many different patterns are possible when observed from above?
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Answer: (B) 4
Explanation
Each blue strip must lie in a corner with its 8' side along a 10' edge (8' cannot fit along 6'). Two strips on the same long edge would overlap (8 + 8 > 10), so one sits on each long edge, at the left or right end: 2 × 2 = 4 patterns.